Toy products which simulate food preparation are an extremely popular toy category and, as a result, have enjoyed substantial variation and product development on the part of practitioners in the art. Some toy products utilize nonedible simulated food items and articles such as wooden or plastic items having an appearance corresponding to one or more food items. Other types of such toy products provide and process an edible food such as pudding mixes, cookies, jellies and jams or the like used in various simulated food preparations. In addition, certain toy food preparation products actually provide cooking processes usually employing an electric heater such as a lightbulb or the like for a heat source. Such products having actual heating elements, of course, give rise to potential safety problems particularly if the product is intended for operation by younger children. Practitioners have attempted to avoid such safety problems by providing toy products which process edible food but which rely upon other mechanisms for imparting the realistic cooking appearance to the food preparation.
In addition to variations of such toy products directed to the product itself, practitioners in the art have also endeavored to provide a variety of toy playsets receivable within a compact carrying case. In some such products, the carrying case forms an integral portion of the play apparatus of the toy set.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,904 issued to Lehmann, et al. sets forth a TOY JEWELRY ITEM WITH PARTS MOVABLE TO A HIDDEN POSITION in which a pair of clam shell portions are hingedly coupled to form a carrying case. The various parts such as head, hands, feet or the like are securable to the clam shell portions in either exposed or hidden positions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,504 issued to Lee, et al. sets forth a COLORING TOY having a plastic box housing a plurality of markers. The outer surface of the box forms a writing surface upon which the markers may be used to draw or write. The interior of the box supports a plurality of markers as well as a plurality of other writing apparatus such as stencils or the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,104,124 issued to Bernard, et al. sets forth a COLLAPSIBLE GAME USABLE AS A PROMOTIONAL DEVICE having a rear face secured to the rear of a box or like container. A second panel is integrally formed and pivotally supported about the bottom edge of the first panel and movable between retracted and extending positions. The panels are formed of paper stock along with the box and support game play elements which may be folded into the box or extended therefrom for game play.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,346 issued to Tsuji sets forth an AUTOMOBILE-SHAPED CASE FOR DESK ACCESSORIES having an automobile-like lower body defining a plurality of appearance features corresponding to an automobile and having a plurality of interior compartments within which various desk items may be stored.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,627,706 issued to Hayley sets forth a COMBINATION CONTAINER AND TELEVISION TOY having a rectangular box-like container defining an open side within which a room interior setting is depicted. The room depiction includes a simulated television set having a screen aperture therethrough together with means for receiving an elongated multi-imaged film strip which is moved through the simulated television to provide a succession of television-like images.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,327 issued to Ferrero sets forth a COMBINATION GIFT AND ITS CASING having a single molded plastic unit defining a hollow clam shell casing to which a plurality of gift objects are integrally formed and foldable to the interior thereof. The entire assembly may be folded to close the clam shell halves and enclose the molded gift components.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,574 issued to Kobayashi sets forth an AMUSEMENT AND INSTRUCTIONAL DEVICE having a succession of planar display panels hingedly connected to collectively provide a book-like structure. The panels display words, pictures or the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,710 issued to Montgomery sets forth a FOLD OPEN PLAYSET WITH SLOTTED BASE in which a container for a toy or game in the form of a box having two parts hingedly coupled may be used as a base plate for supporting parts within the box as the completed toy is erected from the parts.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,599,928 issued to Koer sets forth an APPARATUS FOR FORMING CUBES FROM A PRODUCT SUCH AS A LOAF OF CHEESE having a base member supporting a hinge frame which in turn supports a plurality of cutting filaments in a parallel spaced array. The cutter further includes a second hingedly coupled frame supporting a second plurality of cutting filaments in a parallel array orthogonal to the first array.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,115,568 issued to Aida sets forth a CUTTER FOR CUTTING THE FOLDED EDGE OF FOLDED PAPER SHEETS OR THE LIKE having a box-like casing a channel-like groove provided in the casing along one edge thereof for receiving a folded paper edge. A cutter blade holder carrying a cutter blade is receivable within the channel to cut the folded paper.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,075,973 issued to Borner sets forth a DEVICE FOR CUTTING FRUIT, VEGETABLES OR THE LIKE INTO SLICES having a blade holding plate defining a front edge and supporting a V-shaped cutter blade.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,003,142 issued to Morrison, et al. sets forth a SCULPTURING KIT AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING DEHYDRATED FORMS FROM HYDRATED ARTICLES having a transparent heating chamber for mounting an article and a support base having an incandescent heating source therein. A drip shield is supported within the housing for preventing liquid from contacting the heat source.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,547,249 issued to Bell sets forth a STRIP CUTTER having a housing supporting a plurality of parallely spaced cutting blades together with a guide member for causing a thin material such as paper or the like to be forced against the blades as the material is drawn through the guide and thereby cut into strips.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,870,756 issued to Burkhalter sets forth a STRIP CUTTER for cutting elongated uniform strips of material having a holder supporting members defining a U-shaped channel and a hollow body. A plurality of parallel spacers and blades are mounted upon the body and retained within the chamber.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,590 issued to Reinke, et al. sets forth a DECORATIVE RIBBON SLITTER for subdividing a ribbon into shreds of predetermined width. A plurality of longitudinally spaced ribbon shredding teeth are mounted on the inner surface of one of a pair of jaw members for engaging the ribbon in the closed position.
While the foregoing described prior art devices have provided improvement of the art and, in some instances, enjoyed commercial success, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for evermore improved toy products.